Follow @JJournalSportsThe intensity and energy inside the Hudson Catholic gymnasium was steadily rising as Thursday’s practice wound to a close.

“Last possession,” called out coach Nick Mariniello, who has led a renaissance of sorts in his four seasons at the helm of the Jersey City school’s boys basketball program. Hudson Catholic is coming off its third consecutive season of 22-plus wins and second straight Hudson County Tournament championship.

Junior guard Nassir Barrino advanced the ball up the floor Thursday evening and flashed some fancy ball handling before whizzing a pass to fellow guard J.R. Lynch in the right corner. The senior guard collected the pass and quickly converted it into a picture-perfect 3-pointer, ending the practice on a high note.

Perhaps the duo isn’t as heralded as Mariniello’s most recent star tandem of Reggie Cameron and Kavon Stewart, but Barrino and Lynch have seamlessly transitioned from role players into team leaders this preseason. With Cameron (22.4 ppg), a First Team All-State forward last year, now at Georgetown University, and Stewart (10.8 ppg, 8.1 apg) establishing his own collegiate credentials at Robert Morris University, Mariniello has turned to Barrino and Lynch to guide a young, yet talented group hoping to live up to the program’s recent history.

“Nassir leads by example. He’s not as vocal as J.R., but his leadership … the kids respect him a lot. He’s got presence about him. We always talk about kind of emulating his work ethic on the court and off the court,” said Mariniello, whose team opens the season next Saturday against Don Bosco Prep at the Tip-Off Hoop Group Showcase at West Orange High School.

“J.R. is just a coach on the floor. He really understands the game,” Mariniello added. “He understands the guys, he understands me, he understands the staff. He just gets it.”

After bowing out to crosstown rival St. Anthony in the NJSIAA Non-Public North B sectional final, Hudson Catholic finished No. 4 in The Star-Ledger Top 20 last season with a 29-2 record. Despite losing Cameron and Stewart — Hudson Catholic staples for the previous three seasons — the Hawks boast a roster that balances veteran experience with an influx of promising freshman talent.

“The next guy is just as good as our starting five. I think that’s something that we have that we didn’t have in a long time,” said Lynch, a Hoboken resident who averaged just under two points per game last year. He will certainly have the chance to boost those stats during his senior campaign.

With Lynch and Barrino slated to start alongside each other in the Hawks’ backcourt, Mariniello expects to start senior wing Safee Sabur and 6-foot-7 junior center Sammy Friday in the front court, adding freshman Patrick Strzala into the mix on the wing.

Off the bench, Mariniello will look to junior forward Adam Traore (6-foot-5), sophomore guard Marion Williams, freshman center Kahmoni Foster (6-foot-7) and freshman guards Khalief Crawford and Tyheem Burno. Seniors Med Fofana and Marshall James (6-foot-7) will also be in the mix, along with junior guard Eric Santana.

“We have enough guards, I think we can go 10-11 deep and I think that’s why our practices have been very, very competitive, because there’s no superstar,” Mariniello said. “There’s guys that are more talented than other guys, there’s guys that are older, but I think we have guys that really understand their roles right now.”

While one player won’t deliver the production and presence of Cameron — the school’s second all-time leading scorer with 1,793 points — Barrino might be primed for a breakout season. After a torn meniscus in his right knee hobbled his sophomore season, the 6-foot junior underwent surgery on April 1. The early returns from his coach are positive — a sentiment validated Thursday as the team watched Barrino slice through a pair of defenders in a 1-vs-2 drill.

Yet, stepping into their newfound leadership roles has remained a focal point for Barrino and Lynch.

“It was some sort of a challenge at the beginning but we started to get it together as time went on,” Barrino said. “It was exciting. We were very intense about it.”